Invalid hoists for lifting incapacited persons from a bed and transferring them in a sitting position to other supports are old, as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,877,421 to Brown, 3,351,959 to Turpin, 2,688,410 to Nelson, and 1,971,294 to Bunker. The present invention is an improvement over these and other prior patents in that the lifting drum is substantially enclosed in a hollow cantilever beam which supports the drum in selectively adjustable positions along the length of the beam. Also, the drive motor for rotating the drum is enclosed in the upper portion of the frame which supports the beam. The patient receiving seat or harness which supports the patient is also a novel improvement in that a single spreader or hanger bar and laterally spaced pairs of cables function to first lift a back and head supporting portion of the harness to angular relation with respect to a seat and leg supporting portion; and to thereafter lift both parts of the harness at the same time. The mechanical construction of the hoist is thus simplified and its cost is reduced while its operation is improved.